Department of Dermatology, Post graduate institute of medical education and research, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Department of Biochemistry, Post graduate institute of medical education and research, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India.
J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020 Jan;19(1):234-240. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12970. Epub 2019 May 14.
Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease due to aberrant T-cell response against hair follicle self-antigens. Previous studies support the role of Th1 cytokines in pathogenesis of AA, but the role of Th2, Th17, and Treg cytokines remains to be fully elucidated.
To assess the serum levels of cytokines secreted by Th1 (IL-2, IFN-γ), Th2 (IL-4), Th17 (IL-23, IL-17A), and Treg (IL-10) pathways in patients of active AA and to correlate their levels with the severity of the disease.
Forty patients with untreated active AA of the scalp and forty age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. Serum levels of cytokines IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-17A, IL-23, IL-4, and IL-10 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Serum levels of cytokines IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-17A, and IL-10 were significantly raised while serum levels of IL-23 were nonsignificantly raised in AA patients as compared to controls. The levels of IL-4 were significantly lower in AA patients as compared to controls. (P < 0.05). Also, significant positive correlation was found between increase in SALT Score and serum levels of IL-2, IL-17A, and IL-23. (P < 0.05).
Th1 and Th17 pathways play a central role in the initiation and progression of AA, while Th2 pathway is suppressed in active AA. Treg pathway may be opposing Th1 and Th17 pathway and causes disease localization. The instant study lays the groundwork for understanding the pathogenesis of AA and suggests the role of implicated cytokines as potential therapeutic targets and as biomarkers of disease activity.
斑秃（AA）是一种自身免疫性疾病，由于异常的 T 细胞反应针对毛囊自身抗原。先前的研究支持 Th1 细胞因子在 AA 发病机制中的作用，但 Th2、Th17 和 Treg 细胞因子的作用仍有待充分阐明。
评估活动期 AA 患者 Th1（IL-2、IFN-γ）、Th2（IL-4）、Th17（IL-23、IL-17A）和 Treg（IL-10）途径分泌的细胞因子的血清水平，并将其与疾病严重程度相关联。
纳入 40 例未经治疗的头皮活动性 AA 患者和 40 例年龄和性别匹配的健康对照者。采用酶联免疫吸附试验测定细胞因子 IL-2、IFN-γ、IL-17A、IL-23、IL-4 和 IL-10 的血清水平。
与对照组相比，AA 患者的细胞因子 IL-2、IFN-γ、IL-17A 和 IL-10 血清水平显著升高，而 IL-23 血清水平升高不显著。AA 患者的 IL-4 血清水平明显低于对照组。（P<0.05）。此外，SALT 评分的增加与血清中 IL-2、IL-17A 和 IL-23 的水平呈显著正相关。（P<0.05）。
Th1 和 Th17 途径在 AA 的启动和进展中起核心作用，而 Th2 途径在活动期 AA 中受到抑制。Treg 途径可能与 Th1 和 Th17 途径相反，并导致疾病定位。本研究为了解 AA 的发病机制奠定了基础，并提示相关细胞因子作为潜在的治疗靶点和疾病活动的生物标志物的作用。
